Fender.



F. LILLICH.

FENDER.

APPLICATION FILED-DEC. 29. l9l6'.

Patented Sept. 11, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

l swm F. LILLICH.

' FENDER.

APPLICATION HLED DEC-29.1916.

m w mNmw 1 9/? UNITED PATENT @FFIUFL FREDERICK LIIiLIGI-I, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

FENDER.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FREDERICK LiLLIorr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fenders, of which the following is a specification. I

My invention relates to improvements in fenders, and more particularly to a fender for automobiles having an improved construction and arrangement of bumper rod which when engaging a person or object, causes the wheel guards and a scoop fender to fall into operative position.

A further object is to provide improved cushioning means for the bumper rod which permits a movement of the bumper rod suflicient to cause the release of the wheel guards and scoop fender, and at the same time cushions the bumper rod so as to prevent injury to a person struck thereby, and also prevent injury to the rod by reason of its contact with the person or object.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts as will be more fully hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims. I

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of the front end of an automobile showing my improvements in position thereon, parts of the fender structure being broken away to illustrate details.

Fig. 2 isa view in side elevation showing the mounting of the wheel guards and cooperating parts, the automobile being illustrated in dotted lines, and certain features of the fender omitted for purposes of clearness.

Fig. 3 is a top plan with parts of the automobile and fender broken away to illustrate details. r

Fig. 4 is a detailed view showing, on an enlarged scale, the bumper and its cooperating parts, and

Fig. 5 is a view in side elevation illustrating the mounting of the bumper.

1 represents an automobile having the ordinary frame 2. 3 represents the wheels of the automobile, the front wheels being mounted on the ordinary stubs 4: which are fixed to forks 5 on front axle 6. To both of the forks 5 on the front axle, I secure rings spring tongue 15.

Specification of Letters Patent. Pgmqgn'tedl E; apt, 11, 191%,

Application filed. December 29, 1916.

Serial No. 139,468.

7 by means of brackets 8, so that the rings 7 are held against movement.

Rings 9 are mounted to turn on the periphery of the stationary rings 7 and bars 10 are secured to the outer rings 9 and support my improved wheel guards 11.

The structure of each wheel guard and its cooperating parts is precisely the same, and the description hereinafter of one will apply alike to both.

The wheel guard at its lower end is provided with a shoe 12 which is preferablyof relatively heavy rubberized cloth or similar fabric and is supported by a frame 13 se cured to the guard 11. This frame 13 and the shoe 12 of which the frame is a part, projects in a general forward direction and constitute a scoop to pick up the arm or leg of ,a person on the ground and prevent the same from passing into engagement with the wheel.

As a further protection, the shoe 12 has an apron 14: which. hangs all around the frame 13, and is held in normal position by a This spring tongue 15. is pivotally connected to frame 18 as shown clearly inFig. 2. That is to say, a transverse pin 16 is projected through the frame, and the tongue 15 is pivotally mounted on the pin and is provided with coiled springs 17 which tend to hold the tongue in a general forward direction and return the same to such position in the event the shoe comes in contact with a hard or immovable part of the pavement.

The guard 11 is provided on one side with an arm 18 which strikes against the side of the wheel when the guard receives a lateral blow, preventing breaking of the guard and an arm 19 which is secured to the guard is adapted to engage the fork 5 and limit the downward movement of the guard. In Fig. 2, the two positions of the guard are shown, and this feature of the arm 19 is clearly indicated. 1

A shaft 20 is mounted in bearings 21 on the front face of front axle 6, and is provided at its ends with crank arms 22. These. crank arms, at their free ends, are provided with sleeves 23 in which laterally projecting pins 24: are mounted, and are provided at their free ends with eyes 25 receiving downwardly projecting pins 26 on the lower bars 10, so that when the shaft is turned it causes the bars 10 and movable rings 9 to move and elevate or lower the guards 11 as the case may be.

An upwardly projecting crank arm 27 is fixed to shaft 20, and carries a cat-oh 28 adapted to engage a stationary catch member 29, the latter fixed to a clamp 30 secured toaxle 6. The movable and stationary catch members QSand 29 have beveled ends so that they can readily ride into locked engagement, and when in locked engagement, hold the guards in an elevated position as shown in full lines in Fig.2.

A scoop fender is connected at one edge to the shaft 20., at its ends to the guards ll, and is provided at its lower edge with a chain 32 which is connected at its ends to spring-pressed lingers 83 carried by the frames 13 of'guards l1.

lit will therefore be noted that when the wheel guards 11 are held in an elevated position by means of the catch 28, the scoop tender 31 will likewise be elevated. The catch member 28 is pivotally connected to a bar 34 which is mounted to, slide in a slot 35 in arm 27. A spring 36 connects the latch "28 with arm 27 and draws the latch lever 46 is provided w th .a transverse eyedownwardly into its normal holding position.

A shoulder 37 onthe bar engages the arm and limits the movement of the bar in one direction. A spring bolt 88, carried by arm 27, engages in either of a pair of notches 39 and 40 respectively the lower edge of :bar 3 l, and a coiled spring 41 is located between a lug 42 on bar 34 and the arm 27 tending to move the bar in a direction to press the shoulder 37 against the arm 127.

A stop 43 on bar '34 limits the movement of the bar in the opposite direction.

By means of this arrangement of bar 34 and coiiperating parts, the position of the wheel guards and scoop fender can be adjrusted or varied in accordance with the condition of the road over which the vehicle is moving which will be more fully hereinafter described.

A cable ll is connected to the free end of arm 27, and is operated by a lever or other suitable device 45' to turn shaft 20 and move the fender to elevated position, so that the catch 28 can engage member 29 and hold the fender in this position.

To release the catch member 27 from engagement with the fixed catch member 29, I provide an angle lever 46 which ispiiaotally connected at'its angle :to clamp 30 by means of .a pivot bolt l7. One end 4:8 of

. this angle lever projects under the catch "member 28, so that when the angle lever is moved one direction, it will lift the catch member 28 far enough to release it from member '29..

A cable 49 connects the lever l8 with a foot pedal '56, so that when the latter is operated, the catch 28 can be released. A

cable 51 is connected to the spring-pressed bolt 38, and terminates in a handle 52 which can be moved by the operator to release the bolt 38 from engagement with one of the register with bolt 36,, when the operator can release cable 51 and allow the bolt 88 to spring into the notch 40. V

To return bar 134 to its former position, it is simply necessary while the catch 28 is disengaged from member 29 to exert a pull on the bolt As soon as the bolt'38 is released, from notch 4:0, spring ll will move the bar :34 longitudinally until shoulder 37 strikes arm -27. When the bolt 38 is released, it will spring into notch .89, and hold the parts in such position of adjustment.

A downwardly projecting .arm 53 on angle bolt .54, one .end of which is connected by a coiled spring 55 with a fixed arm 56 on clamp 30. This spring 55 holds thelever 46 in normal position, and returns it to such position when cable 49 is released.

A pair of brackets .57 are bolted to the forward end of theautomobile frame 2., and

support my improved bumper rod .58 as will now be explained.

The brackets .57 have-tubular portions into which forked members 60 telescope.

These members 60 "have screw-threaded bolts 61 thereon extending through openings '62 in the angle brackets 57, .and provided with their: forward and lower ends, support the bumper rod 58. This bumper rod is held in its torward normal position means of relatively strong coiled springs 67 which are positioned between the bumper rod and brackets 68 secured to frame 2. "These brackets 67 sustain the initial shock .of impact of bumper rod 58.

The pivotal movement of each link is limited a lug 65 on the under face of .the :bar .60, which is engaged the 65, so that -springs '64: are compelled to sustain the greater portion .of the shock.

A finger 69 on the upper end of one of the-links .65 is connected a cable 70 with.

a cable 71, the last-named cable being secured to the eye-bolt54, so that when the bumper rod 58 is moved inwardly to cause the link 65 to pivot, the lever 46 will be moved so as to release the catch 28.

The bumper 58 supports a tripping fender 72 which is pivotally connected to the bar at its upper end by means of collars 73, and is made preferably of .two sections 74: and 75 which are adjustably connected by bolts7 6 so as to permit the tripping fender a vertical adjustment.

The two sections 74 and 7 5 of the tripping fender have slots 77 to receive the bolts 76, and limit the movement of the sections relative to each other, and I would have it understood that this connection is a loose one, so that the lower section? 5 can be easily elevated as will be hereinafter pointed out.

Coiled springs 78 around the rod 58 exert a pressure on the tripping fender 72, holding the latter in its forward position, and chains 7 9 connect the tripping fender with links 65, and limit the forward movement of the tripping fender, allowing of a certain amount of adjustment by positioning the various links of the chain on hooks 80 on the links 65.

The tripping fender 7 2 is provided with an arm 81 having a pivoted spring-pressed dog 82 engaging under a hook 83 which is slidably connected to one of the members 60 by means of a pin 84 which extends through a slot in the hook 83 and limits its movement.

The cable 71 above referred to is secured to this hook 83, so that when the hook is elevated by the rearward pivotal movement of the tripping fender, it will move the lever 46 to release catch 28, hence when the tripping fender strikes a person or object, it will be moved rearwardly and cause the release of catch 28 and the fall of wheel guards 11 and scoop fender 31 as will be readily understood.

To enable the operator on the vehicle to elevate the tripping fender 72, I have shown cables 85 which connect to the lower section 75 of the tripping fender, and are operated by a single cable 86 which terminates close to the drivers seat 87, and which when given a pull will cause the lower section 7 5 to elevate. This is desirable when moving over rough roads, but in ordinary travel over city streets there is no necessity of elevating the lower section of the tripping fender.

It will therefore be noted that with my improvements the wheel guards 11 and scoop fender 31 can be dropped by the driver of the automobile by operating foot lever 50 or they will be automatically dropped when the bumper 58 or tripping fender 72 strikes a person or object, hence the fender is operated either manually or automatically.

To the bottom of the tripping fender 72, I preferably secure a flexible auxiliary fender 88 which, in the present instance, is made of a series of scallops of chain 89, said scallops being tied together by additional scallops of chain 90.

The bottom of this auxiliary fender 88 may extend within a short distance of the ground so that the arm or leg of a person will be engaged thereby and thus cause a quicker tripping of the fender 72 than would otherwise occur if said auxiliary fender was not present.

While I have described my invention as taking a particular form, it will be understood that the various parts of my invention may be changed without departing from the spirit thereof, and hence I do not limit myself to the precise construction set forth, but consider that I am at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly come within the scope of the appended claims.

, Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with an automobile, of wheel guards pivotally connected to the automobile, means normally holding the wheel guards in elevated position, a bumper rod elastically connected to the automobile, means for adjusting the tension of the elastic support for the bumper rod, and means operated bv the bumper rod for releasing the wheel guards, substantially as described.

2. The combination with an automobile, vertically movable wheel guards on the automobile, and means normally holding the wheel guards in elevated position, of elastically supported bars connected to the vehicle, links pivotally connected to the bars, springs exerting outward pressure on the free ends of the links, a bumper rod supported by the outer ends of the links, and means operated by the movement of the bumper rod to release the wheel guards, substantially as described.

3. The combination with an automobile, vertically movable wheel guards on the automobile, and means normally holding the wheel guards in elevated position, of elastically supported bars connected to the vehicle, links pivotally connected to the bars, springs exerting outward. pressure on the free ends of the links, a bumper rod supported by the outer ends of the links, a finger on one of said links, and a flexible device connecting the finger with the guard holding means, whereby the movement of the bumper rod causes the release of the holding'means, substantially as described.

4. The combination with an automobile, of tubular brackets secured to the automobile, bars movable in the tubular brackets, springs exerting cushioning pressure on the bars, bolts on the bars projecting through the brackets, nuts on the bolts controlling the tension of the springs, a bumper rod supported by the bars, and means operated by the bumper rod for releasing the Wheel guards, substantially as described.

on the bumper rod, and means operated by.

the bumper rod for releasing the Wheel guards, substantially as described.

6. The combination With an automobile, of tubular brackets secured to the automobile, bars movable in the tubular brackets, springs exerting cushionmg pressure on the bars, bolts on the bars projecting through the brackets, nuts on the bolt controlling the tension of the springs, links pivotally connected to the outer ends of the bars, a bumper rod supported by the free ends of the links, springs exerting outward pressure on-the bumper rod, a finger on one of said links, and a flexible device connecting said finger With the Wheel guard holding means, whereby the movement of the bumper rod causes the release of the Wheel guards, substantially as described.

7. The combination With a vehicle, of a tripping tender, and a flexible auxiliary fender hung from and extending between the bottom of the tripping fender and the ground, substantially as described. I

8. The combination With a vehicle, of a tripping fender, and a flexible auxiliary fender depending from the bottom of the tripping tender and made of a number of scallops tied together, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing WitIIEESSGS,

FREDERICK LILLIOH. I Witnesses HENRY FRIEDRIGH, CHAS. E. Po'rcrs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, .by addressing the fiommissionerof Eatents,

Washington, 13,6. 

